AI researchers have written in support of a proposed Ordinance Banning Facial Recognition Technology in Boston, offered by Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Ricardo Arroyo.The proposed ordinance is now under consideration by the City Council's Committee on Government Operations.The researchers said their statement was designed to highlight some concerns about use and deployment of artificial intelligence, algorithmic, and machine learning technologies.”As a general matter, facial recognition systems raise many of the same concerns raised by other technological systems based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Of note, researchers and journalists have shown that a broad range of harmful consequences could come to pass when values embedded in a particular technological system are not aligned with the values of the societies they serve”.The group said the use of algorithmic tools in credit scoring creates the potential for discrimination.”A system designed to filter resumes submitted by job applicants – trained on information about employees who have been successful in their work with the employer – may reinforce systemic inequalities in the current workforce. And, any use of artificial intelligence tools raises the specter of counter-efforts via adversarial attacks; a growing body of security research around such attacks shows that malicious actors may subvert the ways AI and related systems observe patterns and apply rules, with the intention of causing harm.”They said concerns are especially acute when AI, algorithms, and machine learning tools are used not by private actors but by government institutions.”Citizens lack choices regarding their interactions with divisions of government empowered to provide services, confer benefits, and enforce the law. The use by government actors of technical systems that perpetuate bias and discrimination, or that fail to offer adequate explanations, implicates constitutional and human rights. While citizens can invoke their rights to stay silent or refuse a search, if facial recognition systems are deployed by the government in public spaces, citizens cannot meaningfully choose to not participate”.
Researchers support face recognition ban in Boston
